Thursday, March 17, 2011

Breakdown: $31 million in Cuba-related USAID expenses

Chart shows top five recipients of USAID grants from 2007 to 2010. Source: USAspending

Here are some additional details on USAID's Cuba-related expenses found on the USAspending.gov website.
I've now identified $31,375,546 $29,592,283 spent from 2007 to 2010. Cuba programs during that time totaled some $94,250,000.
The recipients of grants and contracts are below.
I was intrigued by several items. Among them:

On Jan. 26, 2011, several changes were made to USAID's contract with Creative Associates International. Among them: Creative's base for its Cuba operations was moved from Costa Rica to Washington, D.C. I wonder why this change occurred. Did the White House pressure USAID to refrain from conducting covert operations from a third country?

On April 12, 2010, USAID signed a $300,000 contract with DMP Group to perform an audit of the agency's Cuba program. I am filing a Freedom of Information Act request to try to obtain a copy of the audit.

In 2008 and 2009, at least two contracts were changed to allow direct cash disbursements to recipients in Cuba. There has been some debate over the pros and cons of direct cash aid.

Information on the $31 million in USAID Cuba-related expenses are below (Download 7-page PDF of the information). In the coming weeks and months, I plan to flesh out some of the details here and on the Cuba Money Project website.

Transaction Number # 1
Recipient: CREATIVE ASSOCIATES INTERNATIONAL INC.
SWIFT II Task Order awarded to Creative Associates International
for DCH/OTI's Cuban Civil Society Support Program
September 29 , 2008
$6,500,000

Transaction Number # 2
Recipient: PAN AMERICAN DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION PADF
Cooperative Agreement to PADF for the Supporting Civil Society
in Cuba Program
September 25 , 2007
$2,300,000

Transaction Number # 4
Recipient: PAN AMERICAN DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION PADF
Purpose of this cooperative agreement is to provide support for
a two-year program entitled "Expanding Support for Civil Society
in Cuba".
July 21 , 2009
$2,000,000

Transaction Number # 8
Recipient: LOYOLA UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
Awarding Loyola University Chicago a two year Cooperative
Agreement for $1 500 000 in support of their program entitled
"Yes We Can!”
August 10 , 2009
$1,500,000

Transaction Number # 10
Recipient: PAN AMERICAN DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION PADF
The purpose of this modification is to provide incremental
funding in the amount of $1 000 000 to support program
activities.
August 11 , 2009
$1,000,000

Transaction Number # 12
Recipient: INSTITUTE FOR SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES ISC
To provide support for an eighteen month program entitled "Cuba
Community Engagement Program"
June 10 , 2009
$800,000

Transaction Number # 13
Recipient: NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTE FOR INTERNATION
Promoting International Support for Democracy and Civil Society
in Cuba is a two-year program to expand and mobilize
international support for basic
February 04 , 2008
$745,000

Transaction Number # 14
Recipient: CREATIVE ASSOCIATES INTERNATIONAL INC.
The purpose of this modification is to provide incremental
funding in the amount of $670 671 thereby increasing the total
obligated amount from $6 500 000 to $7 170 671.
September 25 , 2009
$670,671

Transaction Number # 15
Recipient: DMP GROUP LIMITED LIABILITY
The DMP Group LAC/Cuba - Adding incremental funding in the
amount of $600 000 to fully fund the contract
April 12 , 2010
$600,000

Transaction Number # 16
Recipient: TO CUBA ECHO CUBA
Award ECHO-Cuba $1 033 582.00 to provide support for a three
year program entitled "Empowering Civil Society by Strengthening
Economic Independence
June 24 , 2009
$500,000

Transaction Number # 18
Recipient: DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH CENTER
To the Development Research Center for program entitled
Supporting Civil Society for Democracy in Cuba
August 27 , 2008
$500,000

Transaction Number # 19
Recipient: LOYOLA UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
Loyola University of Chicago will increase development in Cuba
through a comprehensive program to raise the performance of
civil society s building b
March 14 , 2008
$500,000

Transaction Number # 20
Recipient: FREEDOM HOUSE
The purpose of this modification to the New Media Initiatives
for Cuba (NewMIC) .is to: (a) increase the total estimated cost
of the agreement from $
September 23 , 2008
$477,013

Transaction Number # 21
Recipient: CUBA ON LINE
Recipient will produce and send newsletters to Cuba
January 22 , 2007
$400,000

Transaction Number # 22
Recipient: PLANTADOS UNTIL FREEDOM AND DEMOCRACY IN CUBA
Award incremental funding in the amount of $400 000.00
November 21 , 2007
$400,000

Transaction Number # 29
Recipient:
QED GROUP
M/OAA is requested to provide a new Task Order for the Final
Evaluation of the Cuba Program. COTR: Rick Swanson. CO: Cris
Sylvia
September 29 , 2010
$121,673

Transaction Number # 30
Recipient:
DOMESTIC CONTRACTOR (UNDISCLOSED)
The purpose of this action is to award a PSC contract to Mrs.
Ana Watts who will serve as assistant to the Director of the
Cuba Program.
June 18 , 2008
$103,749

Transaction Number # 34
Recipient:
MISCELLANEOUS FOREIGN CONTRACTORS
Award to Carol Conragan for two year PSC Contract as Cuba
Program Manager.
August 12 , 2009
$78,127

Transaction Number # 35
Recipient:
DOMESTIC CONTRACTOR (UNDISCLOSED)
The purpose of this action is to award a PSC contract to Mrs.
Ana Watts who will serve as assistant to the Director of the
Cuba Program.
July 07 , 2008
$70,715

Transaction Number # 36
Recipient:
MISCELLANEOUS FOREIGN CONTRACTORS
The purpose of this Award is to award Jean Anne Beasley a two
year contract to be a Cuba Program Manager.
July 27 , 2009
$70,000

Transaction Number # 54
INTL REPUBLICAN INSTITUTE IRI
The purpose of this administrative modification is to modify the
agreement to approve cash assistance to individuals or groups
residing in Cuba
April 23 , 2009

Transaction Number # 58
INTL RELIEF AND DEVELOPMENT I
To allow cash assistance to individuals or groups resising in
Cuba when specifically approved by the Agreement Officer.
December 16 , 2008

5 comments:

Tracey,Any chance you can get the names of the people who head these entities? I wouldn't expect names such as Frank Calzon, Otto Reich, Roger Noriega, newly ex-congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart, etc., to show up but I expect some of the names would be politically familiar. Felipe Sixto, maybe?